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Assamite
Assamites, in a role-playing-game context, are a clan of fictional vampires, from White Wolf Game Studio's Vampire: The Masquerade books and role-playing games. In the original version of this clan the Assamites are a group of skilled, select assassins who often commit contract killings in exchange for the blood of other vampires. Even when compared to other vampires, the Assamite appear overly obsessed with blood, due to a clan weakness which causes an addiction to the blood of other vampires. Much of the Assamite symbology is Arabic in origin. Even the clan stronghold, Alamut, is based in a mountain range in the Middle Eastern region. The Hashshashin cult that once occupied this fortress is what inspired the first version of the Assamites. Aside from warriors/assassins, later game supplements expanded the clan's background and composition to include scholars, known as Viziers, and sorcerers. Effectively the clan consists of three bloodlines, known as castes, each with slightly different Disciplines and weaknesses. Even though most Assamites claim independence from the sects, they still collaborate with both the Camarilla and the Sabbat whenever such an alliance suits their purposes. Over time a few Assamite factions have permanently defected to the sects however, notably the antitribu (who joined the Sabbat) and the smaller group of Schismatics that sought protection in the Camarilla. The Assamites clan Discipline is Quietus, which alters the internal chemistry and alchemical balance of the vitae (or blood) of the practitioner or his/her victims. The Discipline was developed as a tool for carrying out the Clan's original purpose as defined by its founder Haqim as judges and police to their fellow Cainites during the age of the First City of Enoch. The Discipline's effects range from the novice ability to use one's blood as a potent poison to causing an entire Cainite bloodline to "weep" blood. Another trait which differentiates the Assamites from the other vampire clans is that they were never cursed by Caine, the first vampire. Despite this, they were still subject to two powerful curses from other sources. The first such curse originated with the Baali bloodline during the Assamite clan's attempted destruction of that family. The results of this curse was that the entire warrior caste of the Assamite clan became afflicted with a tremendous blood-lust for the vitae of other vampires, even to the extent of addiction after only one taste of another Cainite's blood. The second curse occurred at the hands of the Tremere around the time of the Anarch Revolt. This curse, intended as punishment for the clan's addiction to vampire blood as a result of the first curse, caused the entire Assamite clan to have a severe allergic reaction to the vitae of other vampires. Only the Assamites that joined the Sabbat and thus became antitribu, and a few disobedient loners who refused to succumb to the curse were spared this fate. Recently, however, the Assamites have managed to shrug free of the Tremere curse due to the awakening of one of their most ancient and powerful methuselahs, named Ur-Shulgi, and have resumed feeding on other vampires. This caused a great many elder Assamite Antitribu to rejoin the original clan, leading to a leadership crisis in the Sabbat's Black Hand subsect. Ur-Shulgi began to implement an extremist doctrine which in turn caused the Schism, where a group of Assamites who rejected the Methuselah's dogma joined the Camarilla sect. Unlike the other lines of vampires, who become paler as they age, Assamites grow darker - their eldest members being the shade of obsidian. There is one notable exception to this; Al Ashrad, former Amr of the clan, has pure white skin and no one has been able or willing to explain this. The Assamite Clan is further subdivided into three castes; Warrior, Sorcerer, and Vizier. Minor bloodlines Assamite antitribu The Assamite Antitribu are almost identical to their non-Sabbat counterparts, except that they accept all races into their clan, granting membership to anyone with a warrior's heart. Also, most importantly, they were never subjected to the Curse of the Tremere. The Assamites of the Sabbat are free to drink the blood of all Vampires. Because of this, they may be considered a separate bloodline from all other Assamites. The Assamites of the Sabbat, acting on the request of the Sabbat leader Vestgeir, severed all direct association to the Assamite clan. The Sabbat Assamites have since that time made peace with their former clan. Assamite Antitribu will not battle non-Sabbat Assamites, and Assamites have never warred against the Sabbat Assamites. This unspoken understanding is at least recognized by Sabbat leaders. The Assamite Antitribu are the primary assassins of the Sabbat. However, they do not ask for blood from the leaders of the sect. Instead, they ritually slay the eldest of their own clan every 100 years through a special diablerie ceremony. This elder has some of the blood of the Lasombra founder, a third generation vampire, running through his veins. The elder exists for a century as the closest Assamite Antitribu to Caine himself, ruling under the title Hulul. At the end of the 100-year reign, the next in line drinks the precious vitae from the previous ruler, and so it passes it through history. Shango Laibon Legacy of Clan Assamite. The Schism The Assamite castes split apart during the Schism. Ur-Shulgi demanded that other Assamites give up the worship of other gods and only revere Haqim. This resulted in many Assamites being killed, and many more opting to leave Alamut. Ur-Shulgi was particularly vicious towards Muslim Assamites, and killed several elders for refusing to renounce their faith, including the head of the Warrior caste. Some Assamites joined the Camarilla. Most of those that joined the Camarilla were viziers and sorcerers. Warriors that joined the Camarilla are generally seen as loose cannons who must be supervised by their more restrained (and non-vitae-addicted) clan mates. Sorcerers in the Camarilla find their skills in high demand as an alternative to dealing with the Tremere. A small number of Assamites, mostly Warriors, joined the Sabbat. While the Assamite-antitribu who had been with the Sabbat for the last 500 years were entirely from Warrior stock, the Warriors opting to join the Sabbat were not entirely welcomed with open arms. Many of the Assamite-antitribu elders, particularly in the Black Hand, had defected and left the Sabbat to return to the main clan. This meant the Sabbat was not entirely welcoming because of the recent betrayal. Few sorcerers or viziers joined the Sabbat. Some Assamites chose to go completely independent and avoid all the sects. They also drew away from the main clan, primarily for religious reasons. Few Warriors chose this option. Most Dispossessed Assamites are Viziers or Sorcerers. Many Assamites stayed with the main clan. Most of these were warriors and sorcerers. Virtually all Assamites on the Path of Blood chose to stay with the main clan. Version Differences The Assamites have gone through MANY revisions. In the 1st edition, they were generally presented as an all male fanatical sect of Muslim assassins. In 2nd edition, sorcerers started to make an appearance, but they were poorly defined and a tiny section of the clan. Vampire: The Dark Ages initially presented them in much the same light as 2nd edition Vampire: The Masquerade. Libellus Sanguinus originally introduced the concept of the three Assamite castes. Revised edition Vampire presented the Assamites of consisting of the warriors and the "viziers". In that context, the "viziers" were actually the sorcerers. The three caste system was introduced as "optional" in the Revised edition Assamite clanbook. Dark Ages: Vampire presented the Assamites as three separate castes without the disclaimer than the castes are "optional". With the version changes, there were also several changes in weakness. 1st and 2nd edition Assamites all suffered from an allergy to vitae due to the Tremere curse and had to tithe vitae to the clan. Revised and Vampire: The Dark Ages Assamites suffered from the Warrior weakness, addiction to vitae. Revised edition "viziers" (sorcerers) had to pay an additional blood point to use Thaumaturgy. Assamites in Libellus Sanguinus, Dark Ages Vampire, and the Revised Assamite clan book have the standard three caste flaws. In Libellus Sanguinus and Dark Ages: Vampire sorcerers get Assamite Sorcery, Auspex, and Quietus as their primary Disciplines. In the Revised edition Assamite clan book (modern era) they get Assamite Sorcery, Obfuscate, and Quietus. The Viziers and Warriors have the same Disciplines in the Dark Ages and modern era. In all versions, Assamites grow darker with age. Assamites of Note *Haqim, antediluvian *Ur Shulgi, Fourth generation Sorcerer. Childe of Haquim, One of the most powerfull and potent Blood mage in the World Of Darkness, was able to break the centuries old Curse of the Tremere cast on the Assamite clan within two weeks of his awakening, caused the schism in the Assamite clan due to his strict interpritation of the "Path of Blood" *Al-Ashrad, Fifth generation Sorcerer. Childe of Ur Shilgi, one of the most pre-eminent mages in the World Of Darkness, now is the "schism" side and defected to Camarilla with a significant part of the clan *Tegyrius, Fifth generation Vizier. Broke away from the clan along with Al-Ashrad, was being considered for the post of the first Assamite Justicar , later on Diablerised by the Haqim,(Gehenna- 2004) *Thetmes, Fifth generation Warrior. Childe of Sha'hiri, caliph of the Clan since 15th century *Fatima al-Faqadi, Sixth generation Warrior. Childe of Thetmes, disassociated lover of Lucita, one of the most proficient killers among Kindred * Tariq the Silent - Among the "Most wanted" REDLIST of Camarilla, 6th gen kindred (later turned to 13th gen by Tremere Antitribu through the ritual "Quench the Lambent Flame") Notes The Beborn Beton song Hemoglobin (Assamite) is about vampirism. External links *Assamites.com, the leading website for the Assamite clan online. This site features graphics, home brewed rules, Ur-Shulgi's origins and more. *The Path of Blood, web site dedicated to playing the Assamites in V:TES. *Clan Assamite A White-Wolf approved fan site of characters created for 'Haven of the Embraced' a WoD themed MUD. *Vampire NPC gallery Officially sanctioned npc gallery, over 100 vampire characters References * Vampire: The Masquerade (3rd Edition) by White Wolf Game Studio (1998) {{WoD vampire Category:Vampire: The Masquerade characters Category:Fictional vampire types Category:1998 introductions